Mental health articles

Disruptive behaviour and aggression of toddler A common presentation in the toddler period is the child who is seen as ‘difficult
to control’, with frequent and prolonged tantrums, aggressive outbursts
(particularly when frustrated), poor impulse control and overactivity. These
toddlers may be fussy eaters and poor sleepers. They may show disturbances of
secure base behaviour, with running away in a fearless fashion or angry
outbursts towards the parents.
Aggression in toddlerhood occurs as a consequence of social, emotional,
cognitive and linguistic development, within the context of the family
relationships. Aggressive children develop habitual ways of perceiving and
responding to their environment, usually in a hostile manner, and will continue
to do so if the aggression is not checked (Tremblay, 2004). From a large selection
of longitudinal studies Tremblay found that the peak age for physical aggression
was between 24 and 42 months and that most children will learn to use more
socially acceptable alternatives when angry or frustrated before they enter
school. Thus, rather than learning to become aggressive, children are socialised
out of aggression. Dionne, Tremblay, Boivin, Laplante and Perusse (2003), from a large sample of twins, established that genetic factors had the greater
contribution to the variation in frequency of aggression at age 18 months. Given that genetics plays such an important part in the expression of aggression, there
are significant environmental factors that affect learning to use alternate ways
of managing frustration.
Tremblay et al. (2004) found aspects of the prenatal environment and the
early post-natal environment to be predictors of frequency of physical
aggression. Among the best predictors in the ante-natal period were: young age of mother, low maternal education, maternal history of problem behaviours,
maternal smoking during pregnancy, single parenthood and low income. The
best predictors in the early post-natal period include the mother’s coercive
behaviour towards her child and poor relations between parents. Of course, some of these factors may be confounded with genetic factors and some of them will
have a direct effect on the developing brain and its capacity to regulate emotions.
However, the interactions the infant has with his parents, siblings and peers will also influence the developing brain (Cynader & Frost, 1999). Thus, parents’ ability to regulate their emotions, as observed by the quality of their marital
relations and their interactions with the child, will have an effect on the child’s ability to learn to control his own emotions.
Given the weighting of environmental variables that are associated with
aggressive behaviour, early identification of risk factors and intervention could
reduce the incidence of aggression in toddlers and its long-term consequences

Tags: aggression, toddler